Washing method



Man-ch10, 1942. E.'W B'lR R WASHING METHOD 7 Filedfuay 1940 72 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Patented Mar. 10, 1942 WASHING METHOD John E. W. Birr, San Leandro, Califi, assignor of fifty per cent to J. H. Nicolini, Alameda, Calif.

Substitute for abandoned application Serial No. 49,543, November 13, 1935. This application May 3, 1940, Serial No. 333,139

2 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in washing machines and it consists in the combinations. constructions and arrangements hereinafter described and claimed. 7

In the standard washing machine the actual washing is accomplished by pushing the clothes back and forth through the water by different mechanical means. The action is so violent that it is the chief cause of abrading, tearing, and tangling the clothes. It is also necessary to pass the clothes at least three times through the wringer or spinner, once for each of two rinsings and again for wringing the water out of the clothes after the second rinsing.

The present washer is designed to wash, rinse the clothes as often as desired, blue, and then extract the water preparatory to hanging them on the line. All of this can be accomplished with only the initial handling of putting the clothes into the machine and the final handling of removing them from the machine.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a machine in which the clothes are agitated by the water instead of by a mechanical means. The movement of the water is such as to alternately squeeze and expand the. clothes to simulate the actual hand washing. At the same time the water is forced through the clothes with the result that the clothes are efliciently cleaned without subjecting them to any abrading, tangling, or tearingaction.

The device is extremely simple in construction and is durable and eflicient for the purpose intended. The clothes basket is continuously rotated in one direction during the operation of the machine instead of being periodically reversed as is now the case in many washing machines. This will increase the life of the device.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification and the novel features of the invention will be set forth in the appended claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, in which-- Figure 1 is a vertical section taken substantially along the line l-l of Figure 2,

Figure 2 is a section along the line 2--2 of Fi ure 1,

Figure 3 is a section along the line 3-3 of Figure 1, I

Figure 4 is a bottom plan view showing the legs in section,

Figure 5 is a section along the line 5-5 of Figure 1 on a reduced scale, and,

tions 24 Figure 1.

In carrying out my invention, I provide a washing machine having an outer casing l with a closed bottom 2 and a hinged top cover 3. A vertical shaft 4 extends through a stufiing box 5 carried by the bottom 2 and supports an impeller 6 and a clothes basket I. A bushing 8 is keyed tothe shaft and is connected to the impeller and basket. The bushing spaces the basket 1 from the impeller 6 and provides a water passageway 9 between the two.

Figure 2 shows the impeller 6 as carrying arcuate impeller blades I0 and the impeller is rotated in a clockwise direction when looking at,

the Figure and will not only throw the water outwardly due to centrifugal force, but will also cause the water to rotate in the same direction as the impeller. Figure 1 shows the bottom of the impeller closed by a disc ll while the top is partly closed by a ring l2. The ring leaves a central opening l3 for the passage of water from the passageway 9 into the central portion of the impeller. Between the bottom disc H and'the casing bottom 2 I dispose radially extending vanes I4, these vanes being secured to the disc and being used to throw any water flowing beneath the impeller, outwardly, whereby the 'portion of the casing bottom 2, disposed beneath the impeller 6, is kept free of water.

The clothes basket I is provided with a closed bottom I5 and a screen or perforated cylindrical side wall IS. The top of the basket is open and an inner cover I 1- is spaced a slight distance above the basket top and is secured to the outer cover 3 by supports l8. The diameter of the basket 1 is less than the diameter of the casing for providing an annular space around the basket for the circulation of water in a predetermined manner.

The casing i has an inwardly extending flange or ring I9 that ispositioned substantially on the same level as the basket top.- The inner edge of the flange provides an opening 20 just large enough to rotatably receive the basket. The casing has asecond flange or ring 2| extending inwardly and lying in the same plane as the plane of the impeller ring l2. The inner edge 22 of the flange .21 is just large enough. to provide a running fit for the rim'of the impeller 6.

Figures 1, 2 and 5 show the flange 2| broken away as at 23 for providing an opening between the basket wall I6 and the casing wall. Two vertically disposed and radially extending'partiand 25 lie between the flanges l9 and tends upwardly to the flange |9 and is integral therewith. The partitions and 26 together with that portion of the casing wall disposed therebetween constitute a vertical fluid passageway A that lead upwardly from the casing bottom 2 to the flange IS. The impeller rotates the fluid in the casing bottom and beneath the flange 2|.

This fluid is then directed upwardly into the ver- L tical passageway A by the curved deflector 21 that extends from the casing bottom and merges into the partition 28. The water or fluid in moving upwardly in the passageway A is forced into the basket I as shown by the arrows 28 in Figure 1.

One wall of a second vertical fluid conveying passageway B is formed by a partition 29 tangent to the basket 1 and extending from the inner edge of the partition 25 to the casing wall.

The partition 29 is bounded at its top and bottom by the flanges |9 and 2|. The other two walls of the vertical passageway B are the partition 24 and the portion of the casing wall I disposed between the two partitions 24 and 29.

Figure 1 shows the downward flow of fluid in the passageway B and this is indicated by the arrows 30. The fluid upon reaching the flange 2| is deflected inwardly toward the center of the space 8. The rotating impeller creates a suction at the opening l3 and sucks the water into the center of the impeller.

A baille 3| extends radially from the casing wall to the bushing 8 and this baiile prevents the rotation of fluid in the passage 9. The baffle is rigidly connected to a rod 32 and this rod is journalled in bearings 33. The rod extends above the flange I9 and is provided with an arm 34, see Figure 3, that carries a bolt 35 designed to enter one of two notches 36 and 31 in a quadrant 38 carried by the flange I9. When the arm 34 is swung from the full line position into the dotted line position shown in Figure 3, the bafile 3| is swung from the full line to the dotted line position shown in Figure 2. This permits the basket 1 and impeller to be lifted out as a unit through the opening provided when the cover 3 is swung into open position. When the baffle 3| is in operative position, it "performs the additional function of locking the basket in place. The battle 3| is curved slightly laterally for directing the fluid downwardly into the impeller.

The inner vertical edges of the partitions 24 and 26 are connected with an inner arcuate wall 39 that is disposed adjacent to the basket periph-' cry. The top and bottom edges oft-he wall 39 terminate at the flanges I9 and 2|. The fluid is prevented from passing through the space bounded by th flanges l9 and 2|, the partitions 24 and 26, the casing wall I and the inner wall 39. strip of metal 40, see Figures 1 and 2, extends between the partitions 25 and 2 6 and the top and bottom edges 4| and 42 of the strip lie in the same planes as the basket bottom |5 and ring l2. The strip prevents the fluid flowing downwardly in the passageway B from passing directly across to the passageway A by means of the passageway 9 without first passing through the impeller 6.

Figure 3 shows the inner cover |1 provided with an eccentric opening 43 therein. A projection 44 carries a screen disc 45 that is disposed below the opening 43. The diameter of the disc is slightly larger than the opening. The purpose of this construction will be hereinafter-described.

The mechanism for rotating the basket and impeller is shown in Figures 1, 4, and 6. A motor 46 has a shaft 41 provided with two ratchet pulleys 48 and 49. When the motor shaft is rotated in one direction, one pulley will be rotated while the other will idle, and when the shaft is rotated in the opposite direction the idling pulley will be rotated and the formerly rotated pulley will idle. Both ratchet pulleys are identical except as to size and the pulley 48 is diagrammatically shown in Figure 6. The pulley 48 has a central section 50 keyed to the shaft 41 and this central section has a ball ratchet indicated generally at 5| for positively connecting the pulleywith the shaft when the shaft is rotated in a counter-clockwise direction as shown by the arrow. When the shaft is rotated in a clockwise direction, the pulley will idle. The pulley 48 operates in the same manner but in the opposite direction. The ball ratchet is not shown in the pulley 49 in Figure -1 because of the smallness of the showing.

The pulley 43 is connected to a pulley 52 by a belt 53. The pulley 52 in turn is connected to a pulley 54 by a stub shaft 55. A pulley 56 is connected to the shaft 4 and is actuated by a belt 51 passed around the pulley 54. The mechanism is such as to rotate the basket and impeller at a speed rapid enough for a thorough washing of the clothes.

The pulley 48 is connected to a small pulley 58 by a belt 59 and when the shaft 41 is rotated in a direction to rotate'the pulley 48', the shaft 4 and basket will be rotated at a much higher speed for the drying operation. A reversing switch 60 is diagrammatically shown in Figure 1 and is used to rotate the motor first in one direction for the washing and rinsing operations, and then in the opposite direction for the drying operation.

Figure 4 shows the belt 53 passed around a pulley 6| that actuates a water pump 62. The bottom 2 of the casing has a depressed portion 63 in which the fluid can drain. An outlet pipe 64 leads from the depressed portion to the pump and is provided with a valve 65. A second pipe 56 leads from the pump 62 and a flexible pipe 61 is connected to the pipe 66 and can lead to a water drain, not shown, or the pipe can return the water back into the casing From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, the operation thereof may be readily understood. The cover 3 is swung into open position and the casing is fllled with soapy water to a predetermined height from the top of thebasket. The clothes to be washed are then added and the motor started for rotating the basket and the impeller through the pulleys 45, 52, 54, and 56.

The rotating impeller will suck the water down.

through the passage B, across the passage 9 to its center, down into the impeller 6, and then out to the space in the casing bottom surrounding the impeller. The rotating water or fluid in the casing bottom is caught by the deflector 21 and is directed upwardly in the passage A. From the paspoint.

sage A the water enters the basket in the direction of the arrow C shown in Figure 5. The rotating basket will cause the water to leave the basket in the direction of the arrow D. A part of this water will pass downwardly in the passage B and the remainder will strike th partition 29 and will be deflected back into the basket in the direction of the arrow E. This will create a void or vortex eccentrically in the basket whose axis will substantially coincide with the center of the opening 43. During the continued rotation of the basket, some of the water will be forced out of the basket in the direction of the arrow D and into the passage B. Due to the whirling of the fluid in the passage B a part will strike the tangent partition 29 and will be deflected back into the basket or container in the direction of the arrow E, while the remainder will pass down the passage B and return to the impeller.

The result of these three currents of fluid indicated by the arrows C, D, and E in Figure 5, will cause the clothes to follow a particular path. It will be seen that the clothes as they are rotated will have a tendency to move outwardly due to centrifugal force. The basket wall will limit this outward movement. At the same time the projecting of water into the basket in the direction of the arrow C will cause the clothes to move inwardly away from the container wall at this only move these clothes inwardly, but will force them against the rotating body of clothes, com pressing the body of clothes to form them into an oval shape as shown at F in Figure 5. The continual rotation of the basket will cause the bundle of clothes to also rotate. It will therefore be seen that as the body of clothes is rotated, the clothes will have a tendency to expand during a part of the rotation, as shown at the points X-X, and will fill with water, and will be compressed during another part of the rotation, as shown at the points Y-Y, and will have the water squeezed therefrom. This action of alternately expanding and squeezing the body 'of clothes, simulates hand washing. The result is a perfect washing of the clothes in a short time and without any abrading or tearing effect.

In order to prevent the void or vortex in the water contained in the, basket from extending from the top to the bottom of the basket, I provide the opening 43 in the inner cover H. The

basket in whirling, causes a portion of the water to flow over the basket top and to fiow between the inner cover and flange l9 as shown by the arrows 68 in Figure 1. The water then will flow toward the opening 43 and will drop down into the basket as shown by the vertical arrows 69 in the basket. This water will agitate the water at the basket bottom and will tend to break the void or vortex formed by the rotating water. The result will be a more thorough agitation 'of the clothes with a more eflectlve washing. The screen disc 45 prevents the clothes from passing up through the opening 43.

The waterentering the basket will not now be poured in through the open casing and the I valve 65 closed and the motor again operated. After the rinsing operation, the water is again drained and a bluing or a second rinse wateradded. The machine is again operated and then the water is drained prior to the drying operation.

The clothes have not been removed from the basket between the washing and rinsing operations, and they are not removed prior to the water extracting operation. For this latter operation,

the motor is reversed in its movement by the switch 60, and this through the large pulley 48 and its direct connection with the shaft 4 will rotate the basket at a high enough speed to extract the water.

After the water has been extracted, the clothes are removed for the first time and may be hung on the line to dry. It is obvious that in larger machines, more than one vertical up passageway A and down passageway B may be provided without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention.

Whil I have shown only one embodiment of my invention, it should be understood that various changes or modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

This application is a substitute for my application Serial No. 49,543, filed Nov. 13, 1935, and now abandoned.

I claim:

l. The herein described method of washing clothes which consists in rotating the clothes about a vertical axis for causing them to move outwardly due to centrifugal force, confining the clothes in a circular area, directing water into a portion of this area and against the clothes for moving the clothesoin this portion against the body of clothes for creating a squeezing effect upon this portion of the body of clothes, whereby the clothes will have a tendency to move outwardly during a part 01 their rotation and fill with water, and will be moved inwardly during another part of their rotation and will have water squeezedtherefrom, thus simulating hand washing of alternately squeezing water from the clothes and than allowing them to again fill up with water.

2. The herein described method of washing a body of clothes in a cleaning fluid which consists in rotating the clothes about a vertical axis for causing them to move outwardly due to centrifugal rorce, confining the clothes within a certain area, and directing a part of the fluid against a portion of the clothes for moving this portion toward the center of the rotating body for squeezing the clothes in this portion, the directed part of the fluid progressively moving all of the clothes toward the center as the body of clothes is rotated.

- JOHN E. W. BIRR. 

